Radio Dilemma please help with advice

[no2lurch]

I have a D9 sri estate and it has he usual clarion cd player.

the receptions is ok on it, but not great at times and i really want to plug my ipod into it.

what should i do?

-get the lead to plug my ipod into the clarion (50 odd quid)
-get a new aftermarket radio which i can plug straight into with the ipod but lose the stalk control and screen options (50 quid)
-get a new aftermarket radio which i can plug straight into with the ipod but get the wiring so i keep the stalk control and screen options (another 50 quid).

what i really want to know is will i miss the stalk control with the screen options? i mean will the dash look like it only half works? what have you guys done?

[no2lurch]

the other thing is would it be worth upgrding the speakers as mine seem to 'rattle'

[highlander]

I've replaced my built-in tape player (cos I didn't have any tapes left )

I went for a Sony head unit, but I picked one that didn't have iPod control. Up until this weekend I was streaming my music to it via Bluetooth from my Blackberry Storm, but now I'm doing it from my new HTC Desire. Works very very well, and it means I have true hands-free capabilities through the speaker system in my car, so phone calls are as safe as they can be without stopping the car, and the sound quality is pretty good, and I don't need to wear a stupid Bluetooth headset thingy. The phone pauses playing music when a phone call comes in. If I'm listening to the radio, the head unit automatically switches to phone mode when a call comes in. It just works, very well indeed.

I don't have the stalk/MFD adapter wiring because I haven't been able to justify the cost to myself; there's other things I'd rather buy.

While the stalk adapter would be nice, I don't see any problem with the MFD; it just doesn't show the radio station I've got tuned in. But that's OK because the front panel on the Sony head unit does that for me.

These are all features that the built in Clarion unit doesn't have. Therefore I'd recommend buying a new head unit. Get one with iPod control if that's what you need, but I'd recommend going with a Bluetooth-capable one as well. If you want the stalk to work, get the wiring for that, but unless the front panel on the head unit you choose is rubbish, then I wouldn't bother with the MFD adapter.

Keep the original Clarion unit though; when you eventually get yourself a new car, you can take your new head unit out of the 406 and install it in your new car, but you won't be able to reuse the Clarion on any other car - so put the original unit back in the 406 before you sell it on.

[steve_earwig]

New stereo or food? Tough choice...

I replaced the door speakers in my D8 for some cheapo Sony ones, quality much improved over standard. There are tweeters in the dash, I don't think there's a real cross-over, just a capacitor. You could go for a more expensive custom fit with tweeters an' all but, if you're like me, the high end sound isn't going to be an issue for much longer.

The real problem with an estate is the microscopic speakers in the rear pillars, you'll never get anything decent in there. If you take the trim off the back door you'll see there's already cut outs in the sheet metal for a couple of 6"ers, you just need to find a way of getting wires in there and cut holes in the trim. I also reckon you could probably nibble that out and get something bigger in there if you so desired.

[no2lurch]

thanks for the replies....

Keep the original Clarion unit though; when you eventually get yourself a new car, you can take your new head unit out of the 406 and install it in your new car, but you won't be able to reuse the Clarion on any other car - so put the original unit back in the 406 before you sell it on.

how can people sell the calrion stereos on ebay then as working in any car? are they unlocked in some way?

[highlander]

I mean the Clarion unit is physically designed to fit into that slot on the 406, so it won't fit in any other make/model of car i.e. it'll only be of any use to another 406 owner.

[DiscoPol]

I took out the clarion head unit and fitted an aftermarket jobbie, with usb input, sd card slot and an Aux in.

I dont miss the MFD at all it still shows outside temp and whatever i have set the OBC to, currently Range remaining, plus time i think, either way it was a damn sight cheaper than piddling about trying to get the adapter cables for the stalk (never worked anyway) and the display and then trying to sort out an input for my ipod or Sony w995 phone,that is actually a better MP3 player than the ipod

Again i now have the option of full hands free when a call comes in, I did look at a head unit with full ipod control but just couldnt justify the expense when the player/phone/ipod is just as close as the head unit and easier to hold whilst driving or sitting at the lights (honest officer ) and managing to keep the eyes on the road instead of looking down at the front of the HU

i have kept my original clarion and it will be going back in when i change cars and the new HU moving over to whatever i get next.

As for speakers i bought some replacement fronts as the sound quality wasnt fantastic with the originals, i bought some sony explod 200 watt 6" (135 zloty about 27ish quid) and they fitted in perfectly and the original covers went back over a treat, looks OE but sounds much better, the rears are a waste of time trying to upgrade because whatever you get is still only gonna be a tiny 9 or 10cm thing, i think if you really want the sound from the rears its going to be a door or rear shelf job, but as mines an estate i left the originals and with the upgraded fronts it still sounds 10x better.

Ditch the MFD and stalk its not worth the 50 quid for an adapter, unless you really like that kind of thing

[FarmerPug]

Here is two cheap options that require no work to the car, and can be transferred over to your next car.

1. An ipod i trip fm transmitter it works great and poweres itself from the ipods connector, you just tune the ipod into the radio and thats it, the sound quality is great. One can be got on ebay for around £25
2. The Venturi Mini. Its less famous, its a bluetooth device which plugs into the cars 12v socket, it uses the bluetooth to take the phones sound and puts it out through the radio and can display phone numbers via the rds display on the radio, so if you can put music on your phone it works well as it can control the tracks, it will work well in the 406 because the 12v socket is placed in the middle of the car so that the microphone will pick up your voice clearly, it also has a 3.5mm input so you can plug in your ipod and play music through the cars stereo via its fm transmitter. The venturi is about £30-£50 but the fm streaming is better than an itrip and as a handsfree its great.

[sirwiggum]

Here is two cheap options that require no work to the car, and can be transferred over to your next car.

1. An ipod i trip fm transmitter it works great and poweres itself from the ipods connector, you just tune the ipod into the radio and thats it, the sound quality is great. One can be got on ebay for around £25

I have one of these, but the one with the iPod cradle. Because of the position of the power socket it gets in the way of the handbrake / gearstick

[no2lurch]

thanks for everyones replies.

i've taken the plung and bought a new radio. it does loads of things i dont know what are, but it alos charges and controls my ipod so i can lock that in my glogebox on long journeys. i bought a new fascia off ebay too and they should be here tomoz so will fit them on saturday all being well.

will update...